[20030908]RS20273_选举团：如何在当代总统选举中发挥作用.pdf

Congressional Research Service The Library of CongressCRS Report for CongressReceived through the CRS WebOrder Code RS20273Updated September 8, 2003The Electoral College: How It Works inContemporary Presidential ElectionsThomas H. NealeGovernment and Finance DivisionSummaryWhen Americans vote for a President and Vice President, they actually vote forpresidential electors, known collectively as the electoral college. It is these electors,chosen by the people, who elect the chief executive. The Constitution assigns each statea number of electors equal to the combined total of its Senate and House ofRepresentatives delegations; at present, the number of electors per state ranges fromthree to 55, for a total of 538. Anyone may serve as an elector, except for Members ofCongress, and persons holding offices of “Trust or Profit” under the Constitution. Ineach presidential election year, a group (ticket or slate) of candidates for elector isnominated by political parties and other groups in each state, usually at a state partyconvention, or by the party state committee. It is these elector-candidates, rather thanthe presidential and vice presidential nominees, for whom the people vote in t